Well, now all of America knows — at least the millions who watched AMC’s “The Pitch.” We lost.
Or did we?
IT’S NOT ABOUT WINNING OR LOSING.
I’ve gotten so much feedback from my quotes at the end of the episode where they showed us playing pickup basketball at a local YMCA. There I said it’s not about winning or losing, it’s not about the outcome.
I have John Wooden, former UCLA men’s basketball coach, to thank for that. A sports legend who never lived by the words “winning” or “losing” but whose legacy was built on an unsurpassed 10 national championships and winning streaks that most thought would never be broken.
The analogy resonates because it’s so completely opposite to what you’d expect from the greatest coach ever in the history of sports. And so completely opposite to what you’d expect from an ad guy who makes his living fighting to the death in every pitch.
For Coach Wooden, it was all about preparation, practice and routine. Not the actual game. The game was the result of how well the team replicated what they did in practice.
For us, that “practice” is our strategic rigor, our creative process, and the execution of our thinking. Our pitch is merely the culmination of what we’ve done the weeks beforehand.
To Wooden, score didn’t matter. Effort did. Our “score” in a pitch is thoroughly subjective, swayed by personal whim, politics and things that have nothing to do with objectivity or what’s “right.” Score matters little to me.
(Although I’ve enjoyed the “score” associated with AMC’s Poll “Who Should’ve Won?” based on the votes of thousands of viewers. It’s about as objective as I’ll ever see in a pitch.)
FOCUS ON THE TEAM. FOCUS ON CHEMISTRY AND CULTURE.
Coach Wooden tried to keep his team focused on what they could control. He didn’t worry about the other team, because neither he nor the players could control what the opponents would do.
It’s the same with advertising. If you worry about what the other agency is doing for a pitch, you take your eye off the ball and off your game. McKinney is a terrific agency. It could have been very easy to get hung up on what they might do.
At WDCW, fundamentally, we are good team players. We treat each other with respect. We work without egos. People have commented, “It looks like you’re having fun and that everyone gets along.” We are, and we do.
Our “Democracy of Good Ideas”, however hokey or idealistic it may sound, creates an atmosphere where everyone contributes, because everyone needs to play a role in the strategic and creative process.
STAY IN THE MOMENT. PUT UP YOUR BEST SHOT. DON’T WORRY ABOUT MAKING IT.
This is the thinking of Zen master Phil Jackson, the greatest coach in NBA history. At a press conference after a Lakers playoff game, Kobe Bryant was asked whether he felt pressure taking the winning shot with no time left on the clock, a shot he ultimately made.
“No. Phil teaches us to stay in the moment and not to worry about the outcome.”
Imagine what might have been running through our minds with the cameras rolling during internal creative sessions:
“How glorious it would be to win the Subway assignment in front of millions. Showing the world how brilliant we are!”
Or “How humiliating it would be to lose on the grandest scale possible! Not just to a room full of clients. But to millions! We would be the laughingstock of the entire ad industry.”
The best outcome occurs when you stay in the moment and think only about the task at hand. Court Crandall and I tried to keep everyone focused the way Jackson did with the Lakers. Basketball shooting percentages and creative thinking go hand in hand. Our culture prevents us from throwing up creative air balls.
IT’S COURAGE THAT COUNTS.
Coach Wooden also said, “Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
We always say in pitches, “Go BIG. Or go home.” Matt McCain and Chris Berry took that to heart and created zAMbies. I knew the zAMbies idea was a long shot, and that it would be WAY outside the client’s comfort zone. But I felt it had the best chance of breaking 18-to-24-year-olds out of their habit of sleepwalking through breakfast. I felt it was the right thing to do.
There were guts in zAMbies. Not rotting-flesh guts, but do-something-unexpected guts. I loved that about the campaign.
COACH FOR LIFE. NOT THE GAME.
Our sole mission in any pitch is not to “win.” It’s about leveraging strong agency culture to produce the best ideas possible. Of all Coach Wooden’s lessons, this seems the most appropriate to end with.
“Success is peace of mind in knowing you did your best.”
Amen to that, Coach Wooden.
Great post Tracy! I believe that one way great leaders inspire others is by being humbly courageous. Your attitude exemplifies that!
Seeing the way you interact with your team gives many of us in the corporate world hope that not all organizations are idea smashing dictatorships.
I look forward to seeing more inspiring and gutsy work from you and your team. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the great response. I can’t profess to being “great” but heard this description of two types of leaders. Think it comes from the military. One that pushes others into the fire. One that others willingly follow into the fire. Always good to shoot for the latter.
TW — I love this piece, and especially the quote you wrapped it all up with.
Much thanks for the feedback!
Tracy–great to see you after all these years. What a long way from those goofy art projects at UOP. Last time I saw you, you were roaming the halls at Goodby. Your post and the clip on AMC of you–that’s more a life lesson than advertising.
Edmund – You’re old. I’m old. One infrequent benefit of “oldness” is wisdom! Thanks, TW
Hi Tracy
Excellent parallel comparison to John Wooden. He is a great mentor for all businesspeople. I especially like your “focus on chemistry and culture.” It was a thrill to see you and your team on this super-entertaining show. Keep up your great work!
Frank – Thanks much. Teamwork in sports is like business in real time. TW
You were rockin’ back in the 80′s at L&Co and still are! You probably don’t remember me, but I was the Office Manager then. I saw a promo for The Pitch and recognized you…watched the show and really thought you guys had it in the bag. I agree with everyone here…greate way to wrap it up and make everyone feel like winners.
Linda – No more ponytail! Thanks for watching. TW
TW, your agency in the Pitch showcased the spirit of teamwork. If I were searching for a job I would look for chemistry among the staff above anything else. If a team can gel together they can win more ball games than a bunch of hot shots with inflated egos. On paper the Yankees are the greatest group of guys ever assembled. Yet, they don’t win every year. Give me a team that truly appreciates & respects one another…that’s a winning team.
Brian – Thanks. I’m big on hoops. Favorite team: 1976-77 Portland Trailblazers. Beat 76ers. A “team” versus a collection of superstars. Semi-related: great book on managing creatives is Phil Jackson’s “Sacred Hoops.” TW
Tracy I’m astonished that they chose MacLethal for a Subway commercial. Legal should have a hay-day with his alcohol use and swearing (wrong demographic I know). I think zAMbies is current, brilliant, however poorly executed. Opening scene = getting out of bed to make coffee in a zombie like state (only to realize there’s no coffee)!
Walk out the front door in pj’s up the street (walking like Jared) look around and notice other ‘zombie types heading to the front door of subway.
Get your coffee and breakfast of choice… pan to someone in pj’s tearing into a breakfast sandwich (like a zombie eating brains)… only to later see him finish in a suit and tie ready for the day.
Regardless of the outcome of the show, I loved your team and the show in general. You took a great shot
David – Ha! Love your suggestion on execution. If you go to wdcw.com, you can see zAMbie stuff in its entirety. I like our spots that are “direct to zAMbie.” An assault on the senses. Thanks, TW
While I (and 67% of America) felt your shop should have won, you can tell a lot more about a person from a “loss”. You could have easially bashed the other shop, Subway or the show’s process. You are all class. Impressive.
Todd – Thanks. We all know to take the high road at all times. But the climb is steep and hard. TW
Congrats to your team for an excellent and memorable pitch. Your leadership style is amazing, and your focus on process pushes your team to be their best. American business can learn from your example.
John – Thanks. Business, especially in publicly held companies, has no soul and no humanity because it is run merely for money by money. Humanity has no seat at the table. We’re independent. We’re still human. (I think.) TW
I truly enjoyed a view in the window of what looks like an amazing company culture that results in great work. zAMbies had such potential to live beyond a one-off. Life is too short to work in a terrible environment. Great philosophy, great work and great non-loss.
Tiffany – Thanks! Corporate culture usually gets lip service. An old Chinese/Russian proverb: “A fish rots from the head.” A company can only be a reflection of who’s running it.
zAMbies. AM get it?
I love that line.
I loved that concept. To me, it spoke to the demographic.
The facial reactions in the room to that concept being presented said it all. (if you can believe editorial)
The sentence fragments in VO were brilliant.
I dunno, waving Jareds pants like a flag, doesn’t do it for me.
I think the client got on the wrong train. But as Phil Jackson would say, “it will still
be a journey, even if we end up somewhere unexpected.”
T – Phil Jackson is the man. TW
Well said, Tracy. Persistence is the name of the game.
Ken – Thanks much! TW
Tracy,
I love the message here, but I have to say..I am in a related business of event management where we too have to go through a similar process for creative, finding out what is sticky, wow them with a presentation etc. I was rooting for your team and I thought you guys absolutely killed it!
It was so creative, clever and witty – not to mention memorable and funny. And, it was clear you guys were having a blast while doing it. So yes, I agree the process is to be celebrated, but in my opinion, you should be celebrating a win of the business as well!
Here’s to your future success!
Shell – Thanks. We thought we killed it too. Yes, you need to have fun. This business tends to eat its young – and old. TW
“STOP DO” is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in years. Keep up the great work.
MUCH THANK!
zAMbies was a brilliant concept, plain and simple. Straight-forward, relevant, engaging and funny.
To be honest I went with your idea from the beginning. I thought it was very appealing for people like me. I confess I am a zAMbie. As a person who is relatively new in this world of advertising, I found your strategy and the way your creative team works very inspiring.
Hi Tracy,
Just had to drop a note and say that I thought your “Pitch” and campaign was tremendous! I’ve watched both episodes of the show several times and I feel in both cases the companies chose the wrong agency. Especially in your case… the only creative thing the other shop did was find some guy on YouTube. By the way…I try to go to YouTube at least once a day to see the Quizno’s kittens. Great way to start the morning!
Keep up the awesome/funny/memorable work.
Ed – Thanks. Client did not take a liking to our work for Quiznos. Should have been my first clue! TW
As a basketball fan first and a creative type second I want to thank you for representing basketball-loving creative types with this post and your work on The Pitch. It was obvious to me watching the episode for the first time that McKinney essentially outsourced their creative process to that rapper.
I respected how engaging and full of energy your staff meetings and interactions were, and gave me insight into the types of agencies I would consider employment with someday. WDCW showed a lot of class on AMC, and if it is any consolation your zAMbies bit had me in stitches and was the better option for Subway in my opinion.
Sean
Sean – Thanks. Hoops and advertising have a lot in common. Coming up with a great idea, selling it and producing it takes an entire organization. Teamwork on the court, and off. From the players, coaches, management, trainers. Again, one of the best books on creative management is the Zen Master’s “Sacred Hoops.” TW
Consistent from when I heard you speak while I attended the University of Oregon SOJC, in your work through your career, throughout the snippets in the show and into the blog post you’re sharing with us: You have created a culture of trust, both inside and outside the organization, through your transparency and personal values.
Thank you for sharing as you do. Your words, work and actions have helped me back as a student and through the course of my career.
Reid – Thanks much. Culture is one of the few things we can actually control. Go Ducks! TW
Two weeks since I saw the episode and something about WDCDW is still with me. Amazing.
Cheers
Paul – I think fanboys should become CMOs at really big companies and hire who they dig. That would make for a good combo. TW
From “fresh mex” to today, you’ve always set the bar so high for the rest of us. Thank you, Tracy. I’m all goosebumpy (and other words I immediately regret typing).
M – I’m grateful that you remember “Fresh Mex.” You can only go as high as the bar you set for yourself. There are others out there with bars way higher than mine. TW
Tracy–
I thought you would like to know that when we saw it on The Pitch, your campaign for Subway won hands down in my College Now advertising class. The students laughed, and they loved it.
All the best,
Brian
Brian – Thanks. Too bad your class wasn’t the client. Maybe some of them will grow up to be. And zAMbies can live (if the dead can live). TW
zAMbies was a great concept. Here’s my contribution to keep the movement alive:
“Don’t eat brains. Use your brain. Eat Subway.”